Change in plans...

Due to the language benchmark Thursday I will not be giving a test on that date.  Students will have a quiz over Latin American history Friday instead.  They should be able to answer the following questions:

1. Who was the leader of the Aztecs?

2. Who was the leader of the Incans?

3. Who defeated the Aztecs?

4. Who defeated the Incans?

5. Who helped Mexico gain their independence?

6. Who helped Haiti gain their independence?

7. Who helped several countries in South America gain their independence?

8. Who took over as Cuba’s dictator after the Cuban Revolution?

9. What was the greatest weapon the conquistadors had?

10. What was the capital of the Aztec empire?

11. What was the capital of the Incan empire?

12. If you wanted to travel from the Aztec empire to the Incan empire which way should you go?

13. Which group became a labor source after the indigenous people were all killed?

14. Which animal helped people hunt, travel, and trade over a larger area?

15. Which group did the Zapatistas support?

Week of Feb 27

Monday - Columbian Exchange
Tuesday - Independence Movement - Club Day
Wednesday - continue Independence Movement, study guide - Reading Benchmark
Thursday - Latin America History test, Benchmark study guide
Friday - Benchmark study guide

Monday - review for Benchmark
Tuesday - BENCHMARK EXAM

Benchmark Exam schedule 

Wednesday 2/29 - Reading
Monday 3/5 - Science
Tuesday 3/6 - Social Studies
Wednesday 3/7 - Math
Thursday 3/8 - Language
Friday - No school

Enrichment Projects

We have finally completed our Enrichment projects!!

Over the past few weeks my enrichment group has gotten a preview of the new unit.  They were divided into groups and assignment one man from Latin American history to research.  They had to answer the following questions.

Who were they?

Where did they live in Latin America?

When did they live?

What did they do that was so important?

Why were they motivated to do this?

Who were their friends?

Who were their enemies?

Students then researched their apperance and clothing styles. 

Each group also had to give their men appropriate backgrounds. 

I think they did an amazing job!!

Cortez and Montezuma II 

Pizarro and Athaulpa

Hidalgo and L'Overture

Bolivar

Week of Feb 20

Week of Feb 20

Monday - school holiday
Tuesday - finish up Aztec medicine advertisements, 4 men graphic organizer, guided reading over chapter 16 - Progress Reports
Wednesday - Aztecs and Incas: Fall of the Empires, BrainPop
Thursday - Columbian Exchange - how are our lives different?
Friday - "If I Were Mayor..." - type essays, only those that turn in a typed final copy will have their work submitted.

Due to having a short week and being in the computer lab Friday - there will be NO vocabulary quiz this week.

Students will have a short quiz Thursday, March 1st over this unit.

Benchmark Exam is March 6th

Latin America's Cultural Legacy - Vocabulary

Encounter
Consequence
Conquistador
Aztecs
Cortez
Montezuma II
Incas
Pizarro
Atahualpa
Colombian Exchange
Indigenous
Agriculture

Aztec Medicine

Ask your student tonight how they would like to go to an Aztec doctor next time they are sick!

Presidents' Day

Remember all TC schools will be closed for Presidents' Day - Monday, February 20.

"If I Were Mayor, I Would..." Essay Contest

Essay Contest

Sixth graders across Georgia are invited to become city leaders in the “If I Were Mayors, I Would . . .” essay contest. Materials for the contest – brochures and posters – was mailed out to schools and city halls at the end of December. The deadline for entries is Friday, March 2, 2012. City officials are asked to encourage 6th graders in their area to participate in the essay contest. The contest is open to all 6th graders, including home schooled students and private school students. The contest is a way for city officials to begin educating students about the role city government plays in their lives and community. According to contest rules, every essay must begin with the sentence, “If I were mayor, I would” and essays may not be longer than 350 words. They can be either typed or hand written, but must be legible and have the student’s name and school on them. One winner will be chosen from each of GMA’s 12 districts, and will be selected by a panel of city officials. Each winner will receive a $250 savings bond and other small prizes. Winners will be notified by the end of March, and will be invited, along with their teachers, parents and mayors, to a luncheon in Atlanta in April.

"If I Were Mayor, I Would..." Essay Contest Information



My class assignment - Students have been working on their rough drafts during several class periods.  February 29, students will type and print their papers in the school computer lab.  All students are required to complete this assignment, though each class may have a different requirement. 

Why did we need pipe cleaners?

With our study of Latin America culture we discussed tissue paper flowers.  Flowers were often used in decorations for various family events, but became very expensive.  Eventually, tissue paper was found as a way to make beautiful flowers and save money.  The students decided to put them all together to create bouquets like the examples I showed them and to then hang them from our classroom ceiling.  Students will get to have theirs back when we take them down.

What we have been up to...

Study Guide - Environmental and Economic Forces TEST

This is what students will get tomorrow.  Please help your student study!

Name _______________________________________

Environmental and Economic Forces in Latin America – Unit Study Guide

1. Describe a traditional economy:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which group has the power in a market economy? _____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Which group has the power in a command economy? _____________________________________________________________________________________

4. List two jobs you could have if you lived in a traditional economy: _____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Why do most people in Latin America live in urban areas? _____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Where are most urban areas in Brazil located? _____________________________________________________________________________________

7. What are exports? _______________________________________________________________

8. What are imports? _______________________________________________________________

9. What is Gross Domestic Product or GDP? _____________________________________________________________________________________

10. Why must businesses in different countries exchange currency before buying or selling goods? _____________________________________________________________________________________

11. What is human capital? _____________________________________________________________________________________

12. Why should a country invest in human capital? _____________________________________________________________________________________

13. What is a mixed economy? _____________________________________________________________________________________

14. What is an embargo? _____________________________________________________________________________________

15. The US has an embargo against _____________________.

16. What is a tariff? _________________________________________________________________

17. ____________________________ removed all tariffs in Latin America.

18. What is a quota? ________________________________________________________________

19. Give an example of a quota:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

20. Brazil has a mostly _______________ economy.

21. Cuba has a mostly ________________ economy.

22. Which two economies are the most alike?  Cuba, Brazil, United States

23. Cuba’s major export is ________________  _______________.

24. What is an entrepreneur? _____________________________________________________________________________________

25. What are capital resources? _____________________________________________________________________________________

26. What are natural resources? _____________________________________________________________________________________

Match up the following (27-30)

27. Jonathan is a local farmer                            Natural resources

28. Soil, Water                                                  Capital resources

29. Tractor                                                                    Entrepreneur

30. Sam is Jonathan’s employee                                    Human capital

31. If Jonathan sends Sam to the local technical school for more training he is investing in Sam’s education.  This is known as investing in ____________  _____________.

32. If Jonathan buys a new cotton picker this is investing in _____________ ______________.

33. A high literacy rate usually means a country has a ____ standard of living.

34. What is the currency of Mexico? _____________________________________________________________________________________

35. What is the currency of Brazil? _____________________________________________________________________________________

36. NAFTA created a large ___________________  __________________ zone.

37. How does Mexico City’s location increase its air pollution? _____________________________________________________________________________________

38. Deforestation causes: _____________________________________________________________________________________

39. Oil production in Venezuela causes: _____________________________________________________________________________________

40. Too much carbon dioxide in the air leads to __________________ problems.

41. ___________________ and __________________ cause air pollution in Mexico City.

42. The world gets 20% of its ___________________ from the Amazon River.

Week of January 13

Monday - discuss NAFTA, trade barriers, exports/imports

Tuesday - discuss currency exchange

Wednesday - Study guide (environmental issues and economics)

Thursday - UNIT SIX TEST - continue working on "If I Were Mayor..." essay contest

Friday - begin Latin American History Unit

Practice questions are also available on www.studyisland.com

Upcoming events -

January 15th - Scoliosis Screening
January 24th - Computer lab
January 29th - Reading Benchmark

Olympic Day T-shirts

Students should have a letter today about Olympic Day.  All students are asked to purchase a t-shirt to wear to Olympic Day.  Please make sure to fill out the form and have your student return it to their homeroom teacher.

Study Island

Be sure to check out www.studyisland.com for practice questions!  This site is great for students that are doing well and want to learn more as well as students that are struggling and need some additional help.

Environmental Issues - Vocabulary Quiz Friday

Pollution
Pollutants
Emissions
Smog
Rain forest
Deforestation
Habitat
Oil spill
Contaminate
Barren

Fill in the blank quiz will be this Friday.

Students will have a Unit Test next Thursday.  This test will be over environmental issues and the economic systems of Latin America. Students will receive their study guide Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

Amazon River Basin

Amazon creatures - Today we learned about animals in the Amazon River Basin.  Students have been very interested in this area of the world and how deforestation is affecting the region.  Ask your student what their favorite animal is.  If they begin talking about Three-toed Sloth poop or eating giant Cockroaches...sorry...it is gross, but middle schoolers love gross!

Study Guide Questions - Given to students today!

Name _________________________________

Latin America Today – Study Guide

·         Where do most people live in Brazil?

·         Where do most people live in Mexico?

·         Where do most people live in Venezuela?

·         How does Brazil’s coast line help it trade with other countries?

·         Why do most people live in urban areas?

·         Why do few people farm in Venezuela?

·         Why are there few farmers in Mexico?

·         Which resources does Venezuela send to Cuba?

·         Why should a country NOT depend on oil’s income?

·         Which country supported Cuba until 1991?

·         Cuba has a much _______________ population than Brazil.

·         Mestizos have ancestors from both ______________________ and _________________.

·         Mulattos have ancestors from both _____________________ and __________________.

·         Which two languages are widely spoken in Latin America?

·         Which language is the official language of Brazil?

·         If someone is literate, this means they can ____________ and _______________.

·         What type of government does Brazil have?

·         What type of government does Mexico have?

·         What type of government does Cuba have?

·         Which of these three countries is the LEAST free?

·         Which country helped Cuba’s leader become communist?

·         What is NAFTA?

·         The Zapatistas did not like NAFTA because of:

·         What does indigenous mean?

·         Which country does Mexico trade with?

·         Give three examples of natural resources.

·         What is population density?

·         What are the three ethnic groups that make up Latin America?

·         What does literacy rate mean?

·         Which ethnic groups do Mestizos come from?

·         Which ethnic groups do Mulattos come from?

·         What does the term urban mean?

·         What does the term rural mean?